The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is rolling out television ads across the country, targeting incumbents whose voting records they say are anti-business, and supporting those whose votes are consistent with the Chamber’s agenda.

In this part of the state, the Chamber is praising Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-Onondaga, Onondaga County, for her votes, while Democratic Reps. Louise Slaughter and Kathy Hochul win the wrath of the pro-business lobbying organization for their support of the health care overhaul. (Only Slaughter voted for it, Hochul wasn’t in Congress at the time.) Slaughter is also attacked in the ad for her vote in favor of energy legislation the Chamber didn’t like.

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has announced her finance team, while Iraq War veteran David Bellavia announced his campaign manager, and former Erie County Executive Chris Collins rolled out two endorsements.

Brooks’ finance committee includes:

Dennis Buchan, former president of KeyBank of Rochester, board member of the George Eastman House.

John DiMarco, Sr., CEO of the DiMarco Group, a real estate development company.

Robert W. Hurlbut, president of Hurlbut Care Communities, which operates 13 nursing homes in New York and Florida.

Tom Ioele, CEO of Employee Relations Associates and founder of “Eyes on the Future,” an event focusing on the local economy.

Susan Robfogel, partner at Nixon Peabody and immediate past chair of the Board of the Office of Compliance, an independent agency of the U.S. Congress to administer civil rights, labor and workplace laws to congressional employees.

Mary Worboys-Turner, community volunteer, retired, previously worked in education, finance and with non-profits.

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Contributors

Jon Campbell has been covering government and politics for the Gannett Albany Bureau since May 2011. Previously, he covered health and environmental issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., with a focus on natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale.

Joseph Spector is Gannett Albany Bureau chief and has covered New York politics and government since 2002. He was the political reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle and has since joined the Albany Bureau, covering state government for all of Gannett New York.

Brian Tumulty has worked in the Gannett Washington Bureau since 1992, first as a national business writer and then as a regional reporter for newspapers in New York, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A native of the New York City borough of Queens, he attended high school on Long Island and college in the Bronx. He has four children and one granddaughter.

Fact Check contributors

Gary Craig's focus for much of the past decade has been on criminal justice issues. He has won regional, state and national journalism awards, including honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Headliners Awards.

Len LaCara is the exclusive enterprise editor for the Democrat and Chronicle, in charge of local news, sports and business. He also directs our political coverage.

Meaghan McDermott has been with the Democrat and Chronicle since 1998, and has come close to reaching her one-time goal of being assigned as a beat reporter to cover each of Monroe County's suburban towns and villages. Since 2006, her focus has been on the Town of Greece and the Greece Central School District.

Steve Orr has been a reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle since 1981, and has covered a wide variety of local topics. At present Orr focuses on environmental issues. Contact: E-mail | Phone (585) 258-2386 | Twitter.com/SOrr1 | Facebook.com/SteveOrrROC